4 SoCo Pizza Joints That Will Make Your Mouth Water

Gourmet food awaits on basically every corner in Austin. Between the indie burger joints, the offbeat barbecue houses, and the eclectic tenants at its food trailer parks, many chefs work together to “keep Austin weird.” The city especially shines when it comes to pizza. The thousands of miles between Texas and NYC do not deter local chefs from crafting authentic pies, and many of the best pizzerias are in your neighborhood. Check out one (or all) of these eateries for the best pizza in South Congress, Austin.

Eater and Yelp Favorite: Home Slice Pizza

When you’re looking for a new favorite restaurant, there are two groups of people you should refer to: your fellow diners and food critics. Boasting more than 2,600 favorable reviews on Yelp and the #10 spot on Eater Austin’s list of The Essential Austin Pizza Restaurants, Home Slice Pizza has the approval of both sets of people. The “insanely popular New York-style pizzeria” (says Eater) has been doling out its uber-popular garlic knots and inventive pies for a decade. Try the margarita or pepperoni and mushroom pizzas for something more traditional, or opt for the white clam pizza or eggplant pie if you’re feeling more adventurous.

Pizza from a Food Trailer: 40 North

Who says you need a typical kitchen—you know, the kind with a foundation—to install a wood-fired pizza oven? Certainly not the chefs at 40 North, who craft their popular pies in a food trailer using a traditional oven. 40 North isn’t the only mobile pizzeria in Austin, but it is the only one that offers a pie topped with hot honey. The Hot Honey pizza also includes hot coppa, ricotta and parmigiano reggiano, and San Marzano tomatoes, in addition to Mike’s Hot Honey. You can keep your pizza a little healthier by ordering the roasted eggplant or kale instead.

Open Late: Via 313 Pizza

Another testament to Austin’s love of mobile kitchens, Via 313 at the Violet Crown Social Club isn’t actually a brick and mortar restaurant, but rather a food trailer parked outside. Via 313’s parent restaurant also lands on Eater’s list of the city’s best pizzeria, and this location is open until 2 AM Thursday through Saturday—so you can grab a slice after leaving the bar. What’s more, Via 313 offers unique Detroit-style pizza, distinguished by square pies with the toppings and cheese on the bottom and the sauce on top.

Cheap, Fast, and Fresh: Southside Flying Pizza

If you’re in the market for a single slice of pizza, Southside Flying Pizza has your back. This popular local pizza joint keeps it simple, selling slices of cheese pizza starting at $3.50 each. If you want to add gourmet ingredients, such as house-made basil pesto or house-made sausage, you’ll have to add a small fee for each, but the money is well worth it. You can also grab a slice of a specialty pizza, like the Southsider scattered with pepperoni and Canadian bacon, Italian sausage, red onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and mozzarella and Romano cheese.